Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

This Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce takes a twist on the classic Baked Ziti for a delicious dish that’ll have you itching for that next Sunday Dinner so you have an excuse to make it.

While you can never go wrong with a Baked Ziti, I wanted to create a similar dish but with a more luxurious feel — and what better way to accomplish that than by adding some homemade vodka sauce to the mix?

Looking for more pasta recipes? Try these:

• Pasta Napoletana
• Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
• Pasta Aglio e Olio
• Saffron Gnocchi
• Rigatoni alla Vodka
• Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this perfect recipe:

Rigatoni: I use De Cecco’s Mezzi Rigatoni, but you can choose whichever rigatoni you prefer

Cheeses: We’ll be using ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmiagiano-Reggiano

Tomato paste: Using an entire can of tomato paste versus tomato puree helps to give this quick sauce a depth of flavor

Vodka: You can omit if you don’t want to use alcohol. It will alter the flavor profile, but it will still be a delicious bush sauce

Garlic and onion: Can sub shallots if you have them on hand

Heavy cream: To make this impossibly creamy

Fresh basil: For both the sauce and to top the final dish

Red pepper flakes: To add a touch of heat. Adjust as needed.

Salt and pepper: To taste

How to Make Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

Here’s how to make this delicious recipe:

Step 1: Preheat your oven and prep your ingredients

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

At this time you can also put the water on the stove for the pasta to start boiling, as well as cut up your garlic, onions, etc.

Step 2: Cook the garlic and onions

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your oven-safe pot (I’m using a shallow dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened but not burned, about 6-8 minutes. Lower the heat as needed to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Step 2: Add the tomato paste and vodka

Add the tomato paste and stir to break up. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat (about 5-6 minutes), or until the tomato paste becomes a deep brick red.

Once it’s a deep red, turn off the heat and add the vodka. Cook for a few minutes and turn the heat back on. (I like to wait until it stops smelling like alcohol before proceeding.)

Step 4: Add the heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and basil

Now slowly stir in the heavy cream until incorporated. Add a few torn basil leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Stir and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until it becomes orange and beautiful, like this:

Towards the end, add about ¼ cup of Parm and stir to combine.

In the meantime, add a big pinch of salt to the boiling water along with the pasta. Let cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

Step 5: Add the pasta to the sauce

Add the pasta to the sauce, along with a bit of the pasta water, and stir to combine.

Step 6: Add the ricotta, mozzarella, and parm

I like to dot the ricotta all around the pasta, then take the mozzarella slices and lay them on top before sprinkling Parm over the top.

Step 7: Bake the pasta

Now bake until the cheese is melted and the sides bubble a bit, about 25-30 minutes.

Note: I like to change to a broil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking so that I can get a nice char on the cheese.

Print Recipe

Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

This Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce takes a twist on the classic Baked Ziti for a delicious dish that everyone will love.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked pasta, baked rigatoni, baked ziti, italian, italian food, vodka sauce

Servings: 6 people

Equipment

• 1 oven safe shallow dutch oven or baking dish big enough to fit one pound of cooked pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb mezzi rigatoni
• 1 small yellow onion or shallot thinly sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ¼ cup vodka
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves torn
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmiagiano-Reggiano plus more
• 15 oz Polly-O Whole Milk Ricotta
• 16 oz sliced fresh mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Also put a pot of water, covered, on the stove and bring to a boil.
• Add a tbs or 2 of olive oil to a shallow ditch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes, making sure not the burn the onions and garlic (lower heat if needed).
• Add the tomato paste and stir to break up. Cook until it becomes a deep brick red, about 6 minutes. Once there, turn off the heat and add the vodka. Cook for a few minutes, or until you cannot smell strong alcohol. Return to heat.
• Now slowly stir in the heavy cream until incorporated. Add the red pepper flakes and torn basil. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. (I like to add a pinch of salt and the pasta to the boiling water at this time.)
• Once the pasta is 1 minute shy of al dente, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain and set aside.
• Once the vodka sauce is a beautiful orange, add the ¼ cup of Parm and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and add the pasta directly to the sauce along with a bit of the pasta water if needed. Stir to combine.
• Dot the ricotta all over the pasta, then top with the mozzarella and some more freshly grated parm.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sides are bubbling. Note: I like to change to the broil setting at the last 5-10 minutes to get a charred look. Make sure to keep an eye on the pasta if you do this.
• Add some more parm and torn basil to the top before serving.